If you weren't Pakistani would you ever visit Pakistan?

Depends on your interests I guess, tourists used to come over for Northern Areas, Historical sites etc when things were not this deep in shit.

In the current situation? NO.
I only return to Pakistan because I am of Pakistan origin!

Pakistan is missing so much due to the corrupt rulers. The overseas Pakistanis have so much to offer, but cannot deliver because of the gangster rule in Pakistan.

So much potential and so much waste

no. Pakistan is not marketed properly. plus Pakistanis are so obsessed with religion and the righteous outrage and violence that accompanies it. you can't attract people to a country with an attitude like that.

so, the sad/truthful answer is that if I weren't Pakistani, I wouldn't visit.

I would've visited to go up north. Pakistan is a popular destination for hiking and trekking in the Northern Areas. It is also top of the list (along with Nepal) for high altitude mountaineering, with over a 100 peaks higher than 7000m (including 5 of the world's 14 8000+m) found in the Himalayas/Karakoram mountains.

Although even this activity is slowing down because of the security situation in the country, as well as the recent landslide that has blocked off a large chunk of the Karakoram Highway and created a huge lake on the Hunza river that is threatening the lives of many in the region.

I am born and bred in the UK abut I love Pakistan to bits. I love visiting the three big cities and exporing the great outdoors. I love the lifestyle, people and food.

Would I love it if I was not of Pakistani heritage? I would say, probably not. The reason I relate so well to Pakistan and get a special feeling that compares to no other is because it forms part of my identity. Without the identity it is just another country and would probably feel the same about Bangladesh if my roots were from there.

Exactly...It's not about money alone. We need to do it our way i.e. in a way most Pakistanis feel comfortable.

I don't agree that it's only the religious guys who are to be blamed. Surely they have their share (a big chunk), but others have their share too. First of all we can "thank" the corrupt military, and also our politicians, bureaucrats etc. have their share. The problem is that all these parties refuse to think big. They have no vision and always end up making short sighted "solutions" just to fill their own pockets.

Fully agree about the potential in Pakistan. In an around-Pakistan-tour the tourists would see what they would have to travel many more miles in most other places......without compromising on the quality of historical places, nature etc.

Because the have much less corruption and they are far more nationalistic. We are on top of the world reg. corruption and ready to sell anything to achieve western aid.

First of all I didn't say the mullahs don't have their share. They are involved (heavily), but our local masters are the military high ups. They are nothing but a mercenary army waging war in their own country. You are right that the mullahs are also inciting violence. The question is who does allow such acts? isn't it a relationship? You scratch my back and I will scratch yours i.e. The military can carry out their anti-Pakistan policies and the mullahs can continue their own "religious" business

The fault is that our awam is either totally with somebody or totally against somebody. There is not much in between. They are ready to worship and do all kinds of shirk - if just their master tell them - be it the religious or the political master.

I'd still say that many parties have their share - some of them a bigger share than others. The size of the share is only limited to what they are capable of. The military has muscles and can do more damage than anybody else. The most sad part is that a marvellous religion is also being used for dirty reasons.

never then less we will return to the best inshallah

as u know (arooj ke baad zawal and zawal ke baad arooj) so we hope for best all ways.

arooj 1947 say 1975/79 tak tha?

It depends on my birth country ( if it wasnt Pakistan)

Any other muslim country then why not
Non muslims then most probably no

I probably wouldn't visit in this current state Pakistan is in, only real reason for me to visit are due to my relatives over there.

Probably the nicest and humblest people I have known, and this is said by everyone who has visited/met them. Also among the few families I have met who are very close and have no family infighting at all despite being a large extended family.

In Pakistan we have some of the most beautiful scenery, weather, tourist attractions etc. but sadly due to insecurity and lawlessness, its not a place I would visit if I didn't have relatives there.

I went in 1989 as a kid, before the americans decided we had terrorists. It was awesome Somehow our problems are perpetuated by hypocrites who claim to spread freedom but practice something else.

I went about 4 years ago, and I loved it, since then, relatives over there have been robbed in broad daylight (2-3pm) An armed gang parked outside, when some guy who had come to repair something walked out of the house, they stuck foot through door and entered house with guns. since it was middle of the day, all the men were at work and only kids and ladies were at home. They put a gun to the head of one of my cousins, to stop my auntie from shouting/screaming for help. They then locked everyone up in a room and robbed the house. Took quite a lot of money and jewellery and then did a runner in the car. Useless police couldn't do much.

Only good thing was that nobody got hurt.

The media image means Pakistan is presented in a very negative light, some of the image is merited, some not so. There are some wonderful, awe-inspiring places in Pakistan but there is a lot of lazy journalism here in the West who like to perpetuate the idea that Pakistan is full of militant maulvis, honour killers and Taliban footsoldiers.

No, probably wouldn't.

Why should a tourist not allowed to drink in Pakistan while on Vacation?

Alcohol is no different than what sheesha is for arabs and probably what chai/paan is for pakistani muslims. Did UK ever objected to arrivals of arab/pakistani tourists (well they get on plane as tourists, go to the restroom, rip apart their passports and upon landing claim asylum at the immigration desk) because they would drink chai / smoke sheesha and consume paan?

I know eh... you would think given how much pakistanis despise alcohol, there would be no reason to ban it. after all if people dislike alcohol so much, they clearly wouldnt drink any themselves. so why the need for a ban?

It would be a valid counter argument if French (non muslim) women could wear burka and they only try to stop Muslim women from wearing burka.

On other hand a vast majority of Pakistan indulges in activities that westerns do like alcohol, drugs heck they even go further than that and indulge in unsafe sexual behaviors like child molestation but if a non child molester, honest, god fearing, humanity loving foreigner is going to visit Pakistan and wants to have alcohol or wants to put his arms around his wife, that is a ln insult to Islam and Pakistan ?

MT, I really don't understand you. you seem like the most self-hating person I have ever seen. It seems like you were raised a Muslim in a foreign country but have renounced the religion and You don't like anything about Pakistan or Islam. I've been following your views for some time, and Your views comprise of the narrow-minded media of the west. You think all of Pakistan, Afghanistan, and the Middle East are ruled by Mullahs, and religious nutjobs, and there are no good Muslim people AYWHERE. When the fact is that there are a lot of good decent Muslim people out there who follow Islam in the right way. You seem like one of those white Americans who hate everything about Islam, and are completely uneducated. what do you know? to be completely honest, i don't think youve ever picked up a book on Islam, and if you have, you block your mind to everything you see. If you don't like Pakistan, go somewhere else to express yourself. The majority of the people on this website love Pakistan and Islam, and would be willing to lay down their lives for it. At least I am. You don't belong here.

and your opinion/thoughts on the topic of the discussion is.......? or is the topic completely not worth discussing to you ?

I don't mind other people expressing their opinions, honestly. I am accepting that other people have differing opinions and i really respect that. What i do mind is when other people attack my way of life and attack Islam. When they attack people in Pakistan, and generalize the entire nation as a cesspool of ignorance. I accept that Pakistan has many flaws more than other nations, but i don't see any positive contribution when someone criticizes everything. Thats a negative attitude.
I live in America and have many different types of friends. One of them is Israeli and he plans on joining up with the IDF next year. Me and him have many engaging conversations, and obviously we disagree on almost everything about the Holy Land, but we have mutual respect, and are very good friends even today.
And as far as the topic of the thread goes, I would definitely visit Pakistan if I wasn't Pakistani. It is an increasingly important region of the world. and also there are plenty of interesting places to visit . Go up north, if anything.

@Pak Fan let me know if you buy up this forum. I will be glad to leave when that happens. until then please keep your advice to yourself. if and when I feel like it, I will post what I think. you are more than welcome to not read it.

and lol at wanting to lay down your life for Pakistan and Islam while living in the evil west... keyboard warrior jokers...

I hope you didnt get robbed again.....by the police.

You don't know me MT. How do you know what I've done for Islam or Pakistan? For your information, I do my best to help Pakistan by volunteering at different charities, as most Pakistani Americans already do. My sister works for a U.S. congressman, and influences his support of the Pakistani community. He argues against the U.S.'s wars in the Middle East and Pakistan.
What I would like to know is what you do for Pakistan? Now I realize that I pity you. You have no one to fight for, no one to defend. All you do is sit back and criticize. You don't believe in a cause greater than yourself.

Away from all the controversies Pakistan is actuall a very beautifull country.
Living in England, i can safely say it is nothing like Pakistan. All Englands sites are prodominatly in London and have to do witht he Royals as merc said.
Pakistan has a heck of lot of beautifull places to visit and some wonderfull historical sites. More then most other countries.
Yes i would go there, Some of the places in Pakistan are uncompareable.

wow you seem like a selfless saint working tirelessly for the cause of Pakistan while living in the big bad US. please tell me what else is super awesome about you. obviously humility and discretion are your strong points.

@Mutazalzaluzzaman Tarar Where I live is not relevant to the discussion at hand. I never said I was awesome, I have plenty of flaws, just like any other person. My point is to say I do my BEST with what I am given. I don't agree with the U.S. political system, but I try to change it. I try to make a positive influence. And as far as the "saint" jibe goes, where did I say I'm a saint? I said I volunteer for charities, that is a part of who I am. I do my best to make a difference, and I do my best to help people in Pakistan who need assistance. I have been blessed enough to be able to help others. I have that opportunity, so i take it. The question is what do you do?

that is absolutely wonderful. I'm sure god is very happy with you for documenting all this information about yourself so humbly on an internet forum.

as for me... during the day, I am a billionaire playboy. at night, I wear my cape and fight crime. not going to say any more lest I should give away my identity.

@Mutazalzaluzzaman Tarar. You are the one who called me "keyboard warrior", so I'm only proving to you that I put my money where my mouth is. Unlike you. I don't see you fighting the mullahs out in Pakistan, do I? You don't have the backbone or the courage.

@Pak Fan are your observations and feelings about Pakistan and Pakistani society based on the observations/experiences when you lived a practical life in Pak or whenever you visited Pak or lived there, your elders took responsibilities for everything in Pak?

Just a question: Don't a lot of foreginers go to Pakistan to attend the big universities there?